


A Helping Horror

by Lostflamefox



Series: Abomination [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Horrortale (Undertale), Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Loss of Limbs, Mental Health Issues, Original Character(s), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sequel, Soul Bond, Soulmates, Undertale Monsters on the Surface, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-11-27 08:50:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18192395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lostflamefox/pseuds/Lostflamefox
Summary: He hadn't thought he would ever see the sun, or the sky... or the surface in general. Standing on the mountainside looking out to the world below was something that should have been new to him, but it gave him a sense of deja vu. Like he'd been there before, somehow. It made him question his past more than ever, the blurs and fuzziness that dominate most of his memory. Seeing the surface was not something he expected to set it off, and it confused him that it made him kinda angry.Not that he had time to think about it. He had places to be, things to do, people to take care of. That was what was important.





	A Helping Horror

**Author's Note:**

> The chapter where the parents of the second main character meet the first main character, and it goes awful.
> 
> https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/551835681115078666/557933104061349907/20190320_092604.png?width=169&height=300

Everyone was afraid of him.

It wasn't hard to tell. They did nothing to hide their wide-eyed staring or trembling limbs. They stuttered and stumbled over their words as though they had some sort of speaking disability if he came into their line of sight. He could practically feel their hearts beating rapidly, taste the adrenaline on his tongue alongside their fear. It was bittersweet, though only at first. The aftertaste was a disgusting metallic, like pure iron. It was getting hard to keep a level head when nearly everyone around him was staring at him and emitting that smell, making him self-conscious for being different and covering his nasal cavity with his parka sleeve because he couldn't take the scent anymore.

His first instinct had been to hide somewhere, away from prying and judging eyes, but he had to get through the whole ordeal so that his soulmate, (Y/n), could get the medical help she needed. The care she'd received in the Underground for her injuries had been mediocre, at best. He'd wrapped everything up in a layer of bandages from a roll he'd found buried in the lowest and dustiest corners of the bathroom cabinet and hoped that it wouldn't get an infection from the previous exposure or the bandaging itself. It wasn't good for her health, and he hated to admit that he trusted the human doctors more than he trusted himself when it came to treating severe injuries. They had more experience, especially with keeping the human body alive. He always managed to fuck it up, somehow, and he didn't want to take the chance that he'd fuck it up with her.

The monsters' first impression went surprisingly well, considering who was in the lead of the first half of the population to make it out. There was miles of mountain to climb down before the cult had reached the fringes of the human population in the town settled below, and by the time they had arrived the humans had been made well aware by then and were ready to intercept them. They captured Zaides and confined him someplace where he couldn't wage the war he wanted on humanity - with very few casualties, he heard - and effectively cut off the cult's head, leaving them in a confused and leaderless state. They were rounded up and guarded as the proper authorities were contacted so they could work out what to do next with the situation.

During that time, the rest of the monster population had started their own exodus down the side of the mountain, with less hostile intent. Those who were strong enough to do the job were sent to collect the monsters who hid in their own little niches and caves around the Underground, bringing the good news, letting them know where to catch up with the rest of them. He would've volunteered himself and Papyrus, but they were needed at the front of the mass, helping lead the monsters downhill to where proper food and shelter would hopefully be below. (Y/n) was carried down sitting on Papyrus' shoulders. He hadn't wanted to force her to walk throughout all the places she could trip and fall and harm herself, and that had been the safest option. It also put her more easily in the sights of the humans. The intent was so that they would see her and realize the coming group was more human-friendly since they hadn't eaten her, and so that they knew that she needed medical attention when they arrived. The plan worked better than he could've hoped it to.

The armed guards surrounding the circle of cult monsters were startled when more monsters began emerging from the woods, though when they caught sight of (Y/n) atop his tall brother's shoulders they called for an ambulance. One of the guards, who he immediately knew to be the leader of the others, walked towards them and started interrogating them and his soulmate about what their business was coming there. He'd accused them of causing (Y/n)'s injuries, and Papyrus had to answer on his behalf so they wouldn't risk him having an outburst. It had infuriated him that he'd insulted him in such a way as to accuse him of that. He knew the other humans thought it, too. It made him angry, but he didn't do anything about it, knowing that he needed to keep his cool throughout everything if he wanted it to not end up in flames.

When the ambulance arrived Papyrus had pointed out to the guard that most of the monsters there needed medical assistance as well, and he agreed he would tell his superiors about that as soon as possible. He couldn't help but admire how the guards handled the situation so well, especially when compared to how the paramedics and EMTs reacted as soon as he'd insisted that he wouldn't leave his soulmate's side. They were the first to show how scared of him they were, and were very quick to relent and let him come along for her treatment on the way to the hospital. His presence was the only thing needed to distract them from their jobs, making them forget years of medical schooling and turning them into dumb beings that couldn't properly handle unwrapping wounds to inspect them just because he was looking at them. They forgot about him when they got absorbed into their work a couple minutes into the journey, especially when he was hunched over and trying not to vomit. He'd forgotten about his motion sickness, and it had came back to bite him in his non-existent ass.

The rest of the trip to the hospital and getting checked-in to a room had come by in a blur, happening so fast that he struggled to process some parts of it. She'd barely spoken unless addressed to, and he knew that she had something on her mind. He really couldn't blame her for that. He would've been mulling over a lot more things as well if his new and hostile surroundings weren't as distracting. Bright lights, an overwhelming sterile white color, the powerful stench of bleach and disinfectant with that certain aroma of sickness and death that he couldn't shake. It bled through his sleeve and stung his nasal cavity, assaulting him from all sides. He absolutely hated it, but he'd endure anything if it was for his soulmate.

All of that brought him to where he was currently.

It was nearly sunset, the glowing ball of fire in the sky starting to dip below the city's horizon. The sky was growing to be darker and darker shades. The view of the city through the window was unlike anything he'd ever seen before, with more electricity and power than the Underground had ever had, turning the ground into a sparkling sea of light. The room he was in had the lights turned off completely, the only remaining source being the TV attached to the wall across the room from the hospital bed. It was playing some kind of cooking show - he found that ironic - with the volume turned low and captions on. The light the television provided made the sterile white colors of the room seem to glow, casting everything in light similar to Waterfall in its current state of dread and disrepair.

There had been a set of plain white chairs along the wall beside the bed, on the side of the window instead of the door. He would have gone to sit in the bench lined up along the bottom of the window but instead pulled up one of the chairs to her bedside, leaning against the bulky frame's side gingerly to avoid any parts of it irritating the hole in his skull. He listened to her soft breathing, barely audible over the television despite its low volume and the hustle and bustle of the hallway just outside of the door not too far off to her left. Her scent had been washed away by the quick bath she'd been given shortly after arrival, which left him with the lingering scent of disinfectant that made him want to smash his nasal cavity to dust. At least she was comfortable and clean, and that's what really mattered.

She was still awake. Her breathing wasn't yet completely even, every other intake or exhale being off-rhythm from the others. He leaned over the railing of the bed to peer at her. The light of the TV was reflected off of her pupil like the surface of a pool, glinting in the darkness. The much cleaner bandages wrapped around her face looked softer and comfortable. A thin yellow tube ran into her nostril from a bag hooked up to a machine on her left, pumping nutrients straight into her stomach. He winced every time he saw it, reminded of the waves of discomfort that came from her when they'd put it into her nose. She'd gone through the procedure well and hid her discomfort, making him proud of her. She looked peaceful now, tucked into bed, her eyes watching TV but not her mind. He knew it was elsewhere still. He wished he could grab her hand, but the closest one to him had an IV in it and was tied to the railing. Instead he settled on just staying beside her, watching TV with her.

He was still so, so hungry.

"Oh, shit," she suddenly muttered, shifting so that she sat up a little more. He perked up and leaned forward a little to look at her properly. He was curious to see what she was upset about. She looked him in the eye. "I'm sorry I forgot ask them to get you something to eat. I'll ask them to get something for you right now." His soul warmed at how concerned she sounded, glad that she was so kind and considerate. Sans was proud that she'd gotten so good at picking up on his emotions already. He smiled wider and silently watched as she pressed the 'Call Nurse' button on her left side with her free hand.

"Yes?" The nurse's voice on the other end of the speaker was a mix of slight monotone and enthusiasm, like she enjoyed her job and was trying to be as cheerful as always but the late nights and long hours were catching up on her a little more as time progressed. He wondered that if she hadn't fallen into Mt. Ebott if she would be the nurse on the other end of the line.

(Y/n)'s response was kind and cheerful. "If it's not too much of a hassle, could someone bring something to eat to my room, please? Anything should be fine, just something that's... edible."

"Of course." The nurse sounded a little bit surprised. "I can have that arranged."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." A little beep resounded from the speaker, showing that the brief call was over.

"When's the last time you ate something?" She looked over to him, her eye full of concern. It still reflected the TV screen even if she wasn't completely facing it, making it look like she had a kind of eye light, like his. He was touched, but he dreaded her response to the answer.

He shrugged after a moment. "isn't important. 'll eat now anyway, so it doesn' matter."

"But it  _does_  matter! How long did you let yourself starve for?"

Uh oh, she was getting more assertive. He liked that she could stand up for herself sometimes, but he really didn't like it that she was that serious about this. She was passionate about it, too. She probably wouldn't stop until he gave her an answer she would satisfied with. He decided to tell her the truth, since she deserved it. It could get her to leave him alone about the matter.

"i dunno, 'cuz i don' remember," he admitted.

She paused, processing the information. "You... don't remember?"

He simply nodded, motioning to the hole in his skull as an explanation. "i don' like to talk 'bout it." Sans hated even  _thinking_  about it. He just wanted to kid himself all day into thinking that he had normal memories, that he could remember everything before the incident. He could fool himself alongside others that he really  _did_  know what his childhood was like, or even how he came to know the people he _knew_  were his friends. The people he could call by name easily, but he didn't remember how he knew, or even who they were. Papyrus was the only other person he'd confessed his memory loss to, and it felt good to get it off his chest a second time. Especially to tell the truth to his soulmate. He hid so much about himself from her, and it felt better to tell her about those things at his own pace. She still wasn't aware of his tic, or the fact that he could just completely forget what he was doing just seconds before. He'd tell her. Soon.

"That's... I can't even imagine what that's like. That must be awful for you." The sympathy in her voice was genuine. His soul warmed, and he felt loved. He always felt loved by her.

He just awkwardly smiled and leaned back in his chair, unsure of how to reply to her sympathy. His mind switched gears; he was about to be have  _food._  Real food. Actual food that he could chew and eat and swallow and be  _filled_  by. Food that could be turned into magic and soothe his aches, make him feel more alive. He hoped it was some kind of junk food. He'd forgotten what junk food tastes like, but one of the things that stuck with him through the memory loss was that he used to like junk food. It was just one of those things that carried through, like his brother and friend's names. One thing that didn't cross through was how it tasted. He'd forgotten what it was like to taste, and he was excited.

The door opened, harsh white light spilling in from the hallway. A male nurse ventured inside the room, carrying a predominantly dark red bag of chips. "I hope you don't mind Dori-" He paused, frozen as Sans' bloated iris landed on him. "... t-tos. Doritos." His adam's apple bobbed as he gulped. His fear was more bitter on Sans' tongue, making him dislike the man already. The nurse quickly handed her the bag and made a darting escape for the hallway, eager to get out of the room.

"You're not  _that_  scary," she muttered, defiant of the man's reaction.

Sans disregarded her mutterings and took the bag from her, quiet and careful in his movements. He could barely believe that he was holding  _food._  Food that was meant for  _him._  He tore the flimsy bag in two when he opened it too harshly, the chips falling unceremoniously onto his lap. Throwing cleanliness to the wind, he shoveled the chips into his mouth and chewed them all within seconds, his tongue making quick work of them and turning them to magic just as quickly as he could swallow them. He'd eaten the entire bag in less than a minute, left with the flavoring dust all over his fingers and shorts. He licked it off of his fingers and got up to dust off his shorts, disgruntled when some of it smeared on the fabric and stuck there. He picked up the husk of the bag and dropped it in the little trash bin across the room.

He sat back down in his seat, looking over to her. He noticed the stunned expression on her face as she glanced at the trashcan and back to him. "Was that... enough? Are you still hungry?"

"it'll do." It'd been like a drop taken from an ocean of hunger, but it was enough to keep him going until he could eat something more substantial. He was kinda upset how few chips they put into the bags - it hadn't even been full. If it'd been full he might feel less hungry, but he'd deal with it. He'd dealt with worse for as long as he could remember, after all.

The door creaked open again. The same male nurse from before was there, though this time he didn't walk into the room, using the door as a kind of shield. "You have visitors. They'll be up here in a couple minutes," he managed to say without stuttering, though judging by his scent Sans could tell that the man was ready to piss himself. That would make the scent a lot worse.

"Thank you for telling me," she replied. The nurse shut the door, his footsteps receding down the hallway in a haste.

She looked back over to him. "The visitors are probably my parents. I don't really know how they'll react to you... I hope they don't react poorly. They are really nice people. They must've been so worried for me..."

" 'd completely understand if they want me to leave." 'Completely' was overstatement, but he could understand - to a degree - why they'd freak out when they see their daughter being hovered over by a monster. If they wanted him to leave he'd do it, but he wouldn't be happy about it. He'd come right back as soon as they were gone and get rid of their scent. If they were going to disrespect him, he'd disrespect them. Though with luck they might let him stay, and he wouldn't have to spend time apart from her. The stress of being parted from her in a completely new environment would give him a panic attack.

"There's a good chance that they'll give you a chance, so try not to think they'd immediately kick you out of the room. With some explaining you'll get accepted into the family, I'm sure." He wished he could be as optimistic as her. She was like Papyrus sometimes, always only seeing the good sides of things. Pretending the bad didn't exist or twisting it into something better. More bearable. His pessimistic self would be lost if he didn't have them. He'd probably have just jumped into the ravine and given up hope before he even got his head wound.

He just nodded silently and tried to think about something else in the meantime. The cooking show on the TV had progressed a lot since he'd last checked what was going on. Instead of toying around with ingredients and showing how to prepare them, they were showing off the product of all that hard work that he didn't do because he didn't have the chance to. The actual work they'd done in the episode was still in the oven, of course. The second dish that had been prepared before the show looked delicious, and it made his mouth water, though thankfully it didn't drip from between his teeth. He'd seen how disgusted she was by his... 'odd' saliva.

Was his spit always black? No, it probably was not. One of the side effects of living through that hell that took a toll on how his magic formed in his mouth.

If that was the first thing her parents saw about him they'd leave him to rot outside of the room and take her far, far away as soon as possible.

He was gonna fuck this up. He knew it. He always fucked it up. He always would.

What was taking them so long?

The door finally opened, and into the room came two humans. The female looked very similar to (Y/n); they had the same hair color and face shape, though their eyes were different. The male didn't look a thing like her, though. Whoever it was, it wasn't her biological father. They were both about to rush to embrace their daughter, but froze - just like the nurse - when they caught sight of him sitting at her beside, still as a statue and looking at them warily. A thick tension filled the air as they stared at each other in silence.

(Y/n) was quick to cut it. "Mom, Dad... this is Sans. He's a lot less scary than he looks."

At her words, they relaxed a little, giving each other a look of reassurance. Her mother walked to her bed and leaned down, enveloping her in a hug; her not-father stayed behind at the door, looking Sans up and down like he was sizing him up for something. He hoped the chip-dust on his shorts wouldn't count negatively towards whatever test he was being put through. Her mother's words were buzzing around his acoustic meatus like mosquitos.

"We're just glad you're safe, honey. We were so worried for you... you don't have to talk about it with us if you don't want to. You're here, you're alive, and that's what really matters. You should come home with us when you're discharged, to recover. The college agreed to let you come back sometime and finish schooling whenever you're ready and we won't have to pay again, so you don't have to go right back to your studies right away. You can take as long as you need, we'll always be here for you. Your stuff is already at the house. We've got it all set up in your room, like you used to have it before you went off to college. Your brother's getting on a plane here as soon as possible to come visit."

Her not-father walked towards them as her mother was talking to her. He motioned for Sans to stand, though he was hesitant before standing up and pushing the chair a little farther behind him. They looked each other square in the eye, being the same exact height. The edge of his smile curved downwards, a little confused and anxious at the standoff. He went blank-faced when her not-father burst into snickers, holding out a hand for a handshake. "If (Y/n) trusts you, I do. You look like I'm about to punch you in the face, though I'm not sure who that'd hurt in the end. I might end up getting my own room here if I tried."

"hehe, yeah, ya might." He shook his hand, the tension between them bubbling away. He was quick to shove his hands into his parka pockets as soon as the handshake ended. The guy in front of him was still anxious and nervous, much more so than him. His rapid soulbeats - he was a determination soul, though a weak one - weren't hard to intercept and interpret. The fact that her not-father was a determination soul irked him, but he couldn't place  _why._

"What are you to (Y/n)?" His tone held a tinge of anxiety alongside curiosity, like he expected to find out Sans was her personal stalker.

Well, that wouldn't be wrong, but he didn't like to put it that way. He was protecting her, making sure she was safe.

"her soulmate. a more monster term, i think, since you look confused. uh... 's marriage, but more serious."

His eyes widened in surprise, taken aback by the statement. His mouth opened, though he shut it, apparently finding that what he had to say would've been too rude to say to him. He cleared his throat and said something else, changing the topic. "We heard on the radio on the way here that monsters escaped from Mt. Ebott. You must be one of them."

" 'course," he replied, trying not to sound sarcastic. Or like a jackass.

"They are being kept together though, aren't they? Why aren't you with them?"

" 'm an exception. had'ta come wi' her."

"Right, right. Why is that...?"

That would be hard to explain. Very, very hard to explain. His mind stuttered trying to figure out what to say, so there was a long awkward pause before he finally replied. "to protect 'er. an' the soulbond, though you might not understand that 'n."

"Sounds complicated. Did you protect her in the mountain, too?" There was a hint of bitterness to his voice, referring to her face and leg most likely. Just beside them her mother was fawning over her, having pulled off the blankets to see how much of her leg was left. Her not-father had a good view of just how much was missing. Not even starting to mention how underfed she was.

"i did all i could. i couldn' save 'er from everythin'." He watched as the man before him faltered when hearing how sincere he was. He turned back to look at her and realized that (Y/n) had been crying with her mother, tears streaming down the visible part of her face. Her mother had paused, having been listening in to their conversation.

He stumbled when she suddenly gave him a hug, tightly squeezing him. His arms were awkwardly spread out as he looked over to (Y/n) for help. She wiped the tears from her face and just offered him a smile that didn't help at all. He looked back down at her mother who was thanking him over and over for protecting her daughter. After a moment her mother pulled away from him and hugged (Y/n) again, like she hadn't just hugged him, leaving him silently baffled and thoroughly stunned.

Her not-father went back to smiling, carefree again. "Well, you've got her here safe. Welcome to the family."

**Author's Note:**

> 12.2 pages · 4279 words. All done in one sitting, and it's DECENT. WOW GOOD JOB ME YOU DID SOMETHING! My elbow is dy i n g from being pressed against the arm of my desk chair. I hope you guys enjoy it, especially so quickly. Let me know if you see anything wrong with it, I'm looking to improve!
> 
> The chapter image (I'll add a link for those on AO3) has a meaning. I drew it myself, and will each time, by the way. Flowers have meanings - roses mean love, for example. Well, each flower for each chapter will represent some main feelings in this chap. Statice, the flower of today's chapter, I'll give you the meaning - success and sympathy. Success at being on the surface; sympathy for his retrograde amnesia.
> 
> https://discord.gg/YjyBY5y
> 
> Hope you guys liked the POV change. The little chap summaries have a twist to them - it's like the other ones from before, but now it's like Sans went in and edited them. He sees it as having gone awful, if you're curious. And don't always trust the chapter summary, now. He'll lie, too. nOW I'M OFF TO EAT MY TACO BELL DINNER IN PEACE THANK YOu


End file.
